It is recognised that a satisfactory wound healing agent should create a microenvironment suitable for rapid and effective healing. A wound healing agent desirably has some or all of the following properties, for example: prevents dehydration and scab formation; is sterilizable; absorbs blood and exudate; protects against secondary infection; is non-toxic; does not shed unwanted material into the wound, conforms to anatomical contours, has small bulk, is compatible with other medicaments, and is economical.
Hydrocolloids are water-binding colloids of botanical, animal, microbial or synthetic origin, that have demonstrated some application as wound healing agents. Important properties of hydrocolloids are their ability to thicken, gel and bind water. The water-binding ability of hydrocolloids means that they can absorb exudate from wounds, which in turn makes them suitable for delivering therapeutic substances internally. Current wound dressings of this type are typically comprised of a hydrocolloid such as an alginate. When applied to an exuding or bloody wound, the hydrocolloid hydrates, absorbing the wound fluid, converting to a hydrophilic gel, thereby provides a moist wound environment suitable for wound healing.
The main problem with current hydrocolloid wound dressings is that the moist environment created by the dressing also provides an ideal environment for the growth of bacteria and compromises the healing ability of the dressing. The presence of bacteria often results in breakdown of the hydrocolloid, while excess moisture present in the wound environment can also lead to the breakdown of gel dressings.